Michael Ballantyne
REALTOR®
-
Primary phone
(941) 404-7374 -
License Number
#3373065 -
Email
[email protected] -
Address
8181 S Tamiami Trail B,
Sarasota, FL 34231
Get To Know Me
The decision took me down an unexpected path and taught me an important lesson in life. During a very long daily commute, exhaustion tugged at the corners of my eyes. I knew I could not keep up with the routine much longer. I needed a change.
One of my close friends was fighting a terrible battle with cancer, so I decided to move to her home to help. I quickly realized I needed to walk away from my career in hospitality management and take over running her household when she no longer could. The quality of her end of life was more important than anything else to me. We met by chance several years earlier. Having just finished my service in the Army, I had recently rescued my first dog from the local SPCA and was considering what to do next. While walking my new dog, our paths crossed. The ironic thing was, on that very day before leaving for that fateful walk, I had named my dog Karma.
My sick friend quickly became a huge part of my life. Helping her helped refine the person I was into the person I could be. She helped me embrace my strengths and supported me wholeheartedly. I lived with her for years while pursuing my career in hospitality. We became family. Making the decision to step in and help was easy for me. I still miss her to this day, but I am so thankful we crossed paths all those years ago. I realized that everything happens for a reason. The smallest thing: a walk with my dog and a random act of kindness, set me on the path to where I am today. I have always enjoyed giving to others. As a middle child, I would do things before asked. As soon as the issue of who would clear the dinner table came up, I would just do it. Not for attention but for the joy of doing it for others.
Anticipating needs, putting others first, and striving for perfection has been a consistent pattern for me. Caring for people and providing support is a honed skill in which I take great pleasure and pride. Acute awareness of what is happening around me is part of who I am. During my many years in the hospitality industry, I refined that awareness. Becoming a real estate professional gave me the opportunity to use these skills in new ways. I got my start in early 2005 but soon realized the D.C. market was not right for me. After the recession, I started all over again and worked many more years in the industry around other real estate agents. I recognized it was what I wanted to do all along because helping people in such a direct way is what I am passionate about.
I have spent my whole life around customer service and the mentality of what I can do to help is second nature to me. My childhood experiences in my family’s businesses, in the military, in hospitality, and now in real estate; helping others is the thread that ties together my outlook and fuels my drive. Mine is a classic approach that remains unchanged and that is people come first.
We all have our stories that lead to the lives we are living today. All I can hope for is to have a positive impact on you when our paths cross. When not working, I enjoy gardening, spending time with my Russian wolfhound, entertaining friends and guests in my home, and attending events to support local charities. My favorite part of being a real estate professional is helping my clients have a positive experience while achieving their dreams through real estate.
Whether you are buying or selling a home, you need someone who is the right fit for you. I have spent my life identifying the needs of others and am comfortable putting those needs ahead of my own. After a lifetime in customer service and business, it matters to me that you have an impeccable experience while pursuing your goals. I am an expert problem solver and negotiator, able to diffuse any situation and pivot as needed. When you choose me as your real estate agent, you get me as an individual too. As your real estate agent, I will tell you the truth, communicate consistently, and adapt to work past any complications that come up during our journey together. I operate my business with a simple but classic approach, people come first.
Above all else, I am a person and treat my clients with the individualized attention and respect everyone deserves. When the transaction is closed, I will still be there to support you in all your future real estate goals.
